A groundbreaking study published in Nature Astronomy on March 3, 2025, proposes that the universe’s earliest stars could have been responsible for the creation of water. The study, led by astronomer D.H. Whalen from the University of Portsmouth, suggests that water may have first appeared in the cosmos as these ancient stars exploded in supernovae. This discovery challenges existing theories and could push back the timeline for the emergence of life-bearing planets.
Water, the third most abundant molecule in the universe, has long remained a mystery in terms of its origins. Following the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, the first stars formed a few hundred million years later. These stars were primarily composed of hydrogen and helium and burned hydrogen in their cores. Once they exhausted their hydrogen, they exploded as supernovae, leaving behind remnants of oxygen and other elements.
In this new study, Whalen and his team ran 3D simulations of supernovae from population III stars, the universe’s oldest stars made entirely of hydrogen and helium. They discovered that the conditions created by these stars were capable of forming water when oxygen produced during the supernovae combined with hydrogen. The formation of water in the early universe would have been crucial for creating the elements necessary for life.
While the formation of water could not have occurred before these supernovae exploded, the study suggests that the first stars might have formed enough water to significantly impact the infant universe. Water likely played a role in forming the early planets, which could have been home to life far earlier than scientists previously believed.
The findings imply that planets and even the basic elements needed for life could have been present long before the first galaxies took shape. If these results are confirmed, astronomers will have to reconsider the timeline of life’s potential emergence in the universe, pushing it back billions of years earlier than previously thought.
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